Ghosts’ Alexander Hamilton Debut Showcases a Neglected Tradition Essential for Season 4

While Ghosts season 4 continues to entertain with humor and character development, it appears to lack a key element that enriched its prior seasons. The show’s spectral characters can sometimes come off as bothersome, especially when their demands become burdensome to the human owners of Woodstone B&B, Sam and Jay. Nevertheless, viewers often find these ghosts to be quite relatable; for instance, Pete’s new ability to travel the world only highlights the tragic predicament of the ghosts, permanently confined to the estate.

One of the show’s strengths is its ability to humanize these undead characters through the revelation of their backstories, granting audiences a glimpse into their past lives. In the season 4 premiere, the introduction of Patience the Puritan may not have struck viewers as particularly sympathetic, but the cold open provided a compelling backstory. The scene transported viewers back to the 1600s, depicting how Mary Holland’s character was expelled from a Puritan colony for her excessively serious demeanor. This not only cast her in a more sympathetic light but also prepared viewers for her challenging character arc.

Alexander Hamilton’s Ghost to Debut in Season 4 via Flashbacks

Nat Faxon Takes on the Role of Founding Father

Ben Franklin and Isaac Higgintoot talking

Thanks to the initial scene featuring Patience, viewers were primed for her character’s disposition long before she was confined to the mansion. This foreshadowing was consistent with the show’s approach of using flashbacks to deepen character development. However, it is notable that Ghosts season 4 has decreased its reliance on flashbacks compared to earlier installments, particularly in its early episodes.

Previous seasons integrated flashbacks quite effectively, but only two have appeared in the first nine episodes of season 4. The opening scene featuring Patience in episode 1 and a concise flashback in episode 8, titled “A Very Arondekar Christmas Part 1,” where Sass reminisces about teaching Lenape to Thor, highlight this trend. Viewers might be surprised that the highly anticipated appearance of Alexander Hamilton is relegated to a flashback, but this shift could bode well for character enrichment.

Why Ghosts Season 4 Is Scaling Back on Flashbacks

A Comparison: Seasons 1-3 and Their Flashback Usage

When compared to its predecessors, Ghosts season 4 demonstrates a noticeable reduction in the frequency of flashbacks. Throughout seasons 1 to 3, several episodes—like season 1’s “Flower’s Article,” “D&D,” and “Alberta’s Fan,” and season 2’s “The Family Business” and “A Date to Remember” —drew heavily on flashbacks as central storytelling devices.

Ghosts Actor	Character Name
Brandon Scott Jones	Isaac Higgintoot
Roman Zaragoza	Sass
Danielle Pinnock	Alberta
Rebecca Wisocky	Hetty
Richie Moriarty	Pete
Asher Grodman	Trevor
Devon Chandler Long	Thor

Historically, flashbacks in Ghosts have served both as comedic elements and crucial plot points. However, this season has emphasized character interactions rather than substantial backstory exploration. While it’s evident that storytelling can flourish without heavy reliance on flashbacks—as proven by Pete’s narrative arc—these glimpses into past experiences add crucial context and depth to character arcs. For instance, without the flashback to 1777 in the episode “D&D,” viewers would have missed out on truly knowing Isaac’s character.

Opportunities for Flashbacks in the Remainder of Ghosts Season 4

Fortunately, there is still an opportunity for Ghosts season 4 to revisit flashbacks as an integral storytelling tool. The announcement of Nat Faxon’s role as Alexander Hamilton being featured exclusively in a flashback signals potential for deeper narrative exploration. Furthermore, showrunners hinted at the long-awaited revelation of Sass’s backstory, promising a flashback-heavy episode akin to previous standout episodes like “Whodunit.”

Integrating Faxon’s portrayal can provide valuable insight into Isaac’s character dynamics, enriching his backstory and making him more relatable. Episodes like “Holes Are Bad” and “Trevor’s Pants” demonstrated the potential of flashbacks to reveal characters’ backstories and render them more relatable, so the remaining episodes could capture this spirit as well. Sass, in particular, stands out as a character in need of more dimension; his narratives often feel secondary, warranting an episode that focuses on his backstory.

Ultimately, for Ghosts season 4 to truly engage its audience and enhance character narratives, the return of flashbacks could be instrumental. This would not only elevate storytelling but also allow supporting characters like Sass to receive the meaningful development they deserve.

Source: TVLine

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